Dictionary
Dam•o•cles
Pronunciation: (dam'u-klēz"), [key]—
n.
1. a flatterer who, having extolled the happiness of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, was seated at a banquet with a sword suspended over his head by a single hair to show him the perilous nature of that happiness.
2. sword of Damocles, any situation threatening imminent harm or disaster.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.